Sacramento Church Hands Out Hundreds Of Free Christmas Trees To Those In Need

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - A Sacramento church passed out more than 200 Christmas trees in the Foothill Farms area Wednesday morning, prompting tears of joy for some recipients.

"I've been crying for the past three days because we didn't have money for a tree this year," Vickie Rivas said.

Hundreds of Christmas trees were loaded up and headed to homes that otherwise would have done without.

"It's going to bring the Christmas spirit that I desperately need because it's been a rough year," Vickie said.

Vickie and her husband are struggling to pay the bills, so the money for a tree just wasn't there. And she's not alone. Many came to pick up trees for family members, neighbors and friends who couldn't come themselves.

"My very best friend is stuck at home. She can't leave her house and there was no Christmas and there was no tree for her this year," an emotional Robin St. Charles said.

Thanks to Liberty Towers Church, a tree will soon decorate her living room.

"This is going to make it for her," Robin said. "This is going to mean a lot. She had nothing for her little grandchildren so now they can decorate the tree and be together. That's what Christmas is about."

The pastor said stories like that make the church want to give back.

"We just know everybody's having a tough time this year so this was an opportunity for us to say, 'Hey, they're free. They were given to us. We want to give back so it's our gift to them," Pastor De Sunken said.

It's a gift coming just in time, saving Christmas for some who feared they might not have a holiday to celebrate at all.

Northland Christmas Trees in Rocklin donated 325 trees to the church.